Chapter 347

Chapter 347: The Sect’s Counterattack

By eliminating all other possibilities and forcing enemies to choose between only two options, this represented the pinnacle of psychological warfare.

"To achieve such mastery… truly formidable," Reinhardt murmured in genuine admiration, staring at the naval chart marked with destroyed sect headquarters outposts.

This was the definition of a genius commander – accomplishing the impossible, forging paths where others saw dead ends through sheer creativity.

As days passed, Emil’s decoding of ancient warships neared completion. The forward base rapidly expanded its fleet using Star Ocean resources. Time favored the Hawk Brigade. By controlling the enemy’s operational tempo, Midi had secured their greatest advantage. Now they needed only gather strength before delivering a decisive strike against the Behemoth.

Yet while Reinhardt brimmed with confidence, Midi’s expression grew solemn. "Prepare all fleets. Judging by patrol route patterns, our opponents have adapted to our rhythm. Expect large-scale mobilization soon." His gaze hardened. "The question is – how far will they push?"

Exactly as predicted, after enduring the "rhythm tactics" for a week, sect headquarters adjusted to the relentless two-choice dilemma. Rather than abandon defenses, they established a new reinforcement network – each outpost and mining site now received dedicated support.

Midi’s dual-fleet attacks became ineffective against double reinforcements. Launching three fleets might overwhelm defenses, as coordinating triple protection exceeded even the mind-reading Heart-Seizing Demons’ tactical capabilities. Yet finding three simultaneous vulnerable targets proved equally challenging for Midi.

Each successful strike meant one fewer target. Once sect defenses consolidated completely, their counterattack would be unstoppable.

Could Midi withstand the sect’s pent-up retaliation? Impossible. Despite Emil completing ten flame warships through relentless research, this fleet remained insufficient against sect headquarters’ main forces. Blood Hell Island would fall to a single concentrated assault.

Scout reports confirmed sect forces massing – consolidating patrol fleets into an armada behind floating island defenses. Midi’s projections showed at least fifty warships assembling.

Fifty vessels. An aerial combat force of this scale could conquer the West Coast’s seas or sweep across all Arad with ease.

"We must keep attacking," Midi declared, staring at the grim calculations. Waiting for the enemy’s completed mobilization meant certain annihilation.

If they continued their attacks, hard clashes couldn’t be avoided, but at least this would prevent the enemy from gathering their massive fleet.

This remained the only choice – using offense as defense.

Yet this was a bitter solution, for their current attacks could no longer exploit weaknesses or misdirect enemies, having fallen into the grinding rhythm of attrition warfare.

Whenever Midi moved, the sect immediately sent out fleets to counter him, using floating islands’ terrain for defense.

No longer did the enemy struggle to defend multiple targets or leave gaps in their lines. Each strike became brutal head-on collisions between warships, every battle costing at least 10% of their forces.

Single losses were manageable, but repeated battles drained morale severely.

Though the forward base’s alchemical factory worked tirelessly to replace warships, dead warriors couldn’t be revived.

10% perished each battle.

10% more families shattered each battle.

On Blood Hell Island, some households lost fathers and sons, brothers, entire generations.

Though all understood Midi’s strategy as the logical choice to prevent collapse, emotions simmered. Friction grew across the island.

When’s the next battle?

Whose warship sinks next?

Will I be next?

Such thoughts spread like poison, eroding morale.

Even Midi struggled under this pressure.

To Star Ocean’s natives, he remained an outsider who’d seized military command during crisis. His authority came from strength and strategy, not the believers’ trust.

Thus Reinhardt and others fought harder on frontlines, desperate to prove Midi wasn’t using Blood Purification followers as cannon fodder while his Hawk Brigade stayed safe.

During these grueling battles, Midi’s All-Seeing Demon intercepted worse news –

The Blue Truth Sect’s Leader approached the front.

At sect headquarters, four temple heads commanded from Fury Cruisers’ bridges, relaying mind network intelligence to captains.

The Leader differed completely.

His vessel wasn’t even a warship, but a 15-meter Skyship shaped like crystalline swallow, controlled solely through telepathy.

More personal transport than warship, this glass craft reflected his battlefield role.

As a six-tentacled Super Heart-Seizing Demon, he ignored reconnaissance and commands. His sole purpose: unleash overwhelming psychic energy to crush enemies.

The sect’s strongest psychic warrior always charged ahead.

A Mind Storm from him during fleet combat would surpass even Midi’s capture of eight poison needle warships.

Countering required matching power with power.

Only one could face this threat:

Midi Asreks.

This meant abandoning command, forcing Reinhardt and Marcel to shoulder greater burdens. Yet Midi had no choice – the frontline would shatter under the Leader’s assault.

As the glass Skyship reached the front, new carnage began.

Meanwhile, at Star Ocean’s edge, Emil’s forward base received the Wind King Warship returning through Black Cloud and Ice Cloud Circles.

This time, the transport brought more than Sea of Clouds reinforcements and supplies – unexpected guests arrived.

Among them:

A disheveled old man in round glasses and stained lab coat.

A strikingly handsome youth.

But all eyes locked on two women leading the group.

One burned with autumn-maple red hair.

The other flowed with night-black tresses like frozen waterfall.

Fire and ice, opposing yet harmonious, captivating every observer.

Who were they?

Why came they?

For whom?

The questions hung heavy in every heart.